Tape-serving mechanism



May 9, 1950 A. P. KRUEGER TAPE SERVING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 26, 1945 May 9, 1950 A. P. KRUEGER TAPE SERVING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 26, 1945 May 9, 1950 Filed July 26, 1945 A. P. KRUEGER TAPE SERVING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 9, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TAPE-SERVING MECHANISM Alfred P. Krueger, Stratford, Conn., assignor to Derby Sealers, Incorporated, Derby, Conn, a corporation of Connecticut Application July 26, 1945, Serial No. 607,223

16 Claims. 1

This invention relates to tape-serving mechanisms, and more particularly to a device for delivering a gummed tape or paper strip from a source of supply, such as a roll or the like, in moistened condition ready for application to a parcel or package.

Such devices usually comprise a support or frame having provision for supporting the roll of tape and a moistening unit or brush over which the gummed surface of the tape is drawn, so that it will be properly moistened for application to the package. It is desirable to have the roll of tape so supported that it will revolve relatively freely when tension is exerted upon the strip of tape to draw it from the roll, although it is also desirable to have a certain amount of tension on the tape, particularly in a machine from which the tape is drawn by hand, so that the tape will be drawn over the moistening'brush with sufficient pressure to be properly moistened.

However, if the roll is so supported that it will turn freely or sufiiciently freely that an excess of eifort is not required to draw the tape from the roll, it often occurs that the roll continues to rotate under its acquired momentum after the discontinuance of the tension. In other words, if the operator grasps the end of the strip of tape and draws it from the machine with a rapid motion, the momentum acquired by the roll during the time that unwinding tension is applied to the tape will cause the roll to continue to rotate after the desired length has been delivered, thus causing a certain amount of the tape to pile up in loose layers about the roll, which will in turn interfere with the operation of the device when it is again used.

The disadvantage above referred to is particularly noticeable when the supply roll is supported upon anti-friction rollers, as is often the case. While such a support enables the tape to be drawn from the roll in a satisfactory manner, it will not check the overthrow or the continued rotation of the roll under the momentum or inertia acquired during the application of tension in an unwinding direction. I contemplate in the present invention, therefore, providing a tapedispensing machine wherein the roll will be frictionally restrained from rotating when the tape is not under tension, but, when the tape is placed under tension, this friction will be relieved so as to permit the supply roll to rotate more freely and thus not require an excess of force to operate the device. Moreover, as soon as the tension upon the tape is discontinued, the roll will again be placed under friction, so that the rotation of 55 the roll will be checked, and overthrow will be reduced to a minimum.

One object of the invention is to provide a new and improved device for dispensing gummed tape.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine for dispensing gummed tape, such that overthrow of the tape at the end of a ing operation will be prevented.

Still another object of the invention is to pro-' vide a machine for dispensing gummed tape having means for normally restraining the tape roll against rotation, but which restraining means will be either eliminated or greatly reduced in efiect when tension is applied to the tape to draw it from the supply roll.

More specifically, the invention resides in pro-- viding in a tape-dispensing machine, supporting means for the supply roll of tape comprising a friction member and an anti-friction member, the supply roll, when at rest, being supported upon the friction member, and the friction and anti-friction members being relatively movable so that, when tension is applied to the tape in an unwinding direction, a substantial portion or all of the weight of the supply roll will be trans-- ferred from the friction member to the anti-friction member to relieve the friction and permit relatively free turning of the roll.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of tape-serving machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts in positions assumed when the tape is being drawn from the supply roll;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of themeans for relieving restraining friction upon the roll when tension is applied to the tape;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified form of my device;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the carriage shown in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing a further modifled form of my invention.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, I have shown a tape-dispensing mech anism comprising a support or frame Ill comprising upstanding side walls II and I2 connected together by webs l3 and M at their rear and front ends respectively, this frame forming a support for the various elements of the device.

dispens-' Secured in the side walls ii and i2 adjacent the upper rear corner thereof is a rod or shaft i5 having loosely mounted thereon a pair of hubs 16 carrying forwardly extending arms l'i, these arms having inwardly projecting pins 18, upon which is rotatably mounted the spool 18 of the supply roll of tape i9. As the hubs l6 are loosely mounted on the rod i5, the arms may swing freely about this red to accommodate rolls of various sizes, and may also be moved longitudinally of the rod, so as to vary the spacing therebetween in order to accommodate rolls of tape of various widths. A plate 26 may be secured to the frame, which plate is provided with a series of slots 21 adapted to receive the rear ends of the arms If, so as to hold the latter in properly spaced positions according to the width of the tape being used. It will, of course, be understood that as the supply of tape is used and the roll is becomes smaller, the arms I? will drop about the rod 35, their rear ends mov ing freely within the slots 2|.

Adjacent the forward portion of the frame a web 22 provides a support for a water receptacle 23 within which is mounted the brush 2:3 in which the liquid rises by capillary action to moisten the tape as its gummed surface is pulled over the brush. A throat through which the tape is drawn is provided by a lower guide member 25 herein shown as formed integrally with the receptacle 23 and an upper guide plate 25 having a serrated edge 21 against which the tape may be torn off when a sufficient quantity thereof has been drawn from the roll. Rearwardly of the guide members 25 and 25 is a guide roller 28 rotatably mounted between the side walls H and 12 'over which the tape passes and by which it is properly guided between the guide plates.

The supply roll is normally rests upon a transversely disposed member 29 herein shown as secured to the walls ii and 12 of the frame, and which member exerts a certain amount of friction upon the surface of the tape on the roll, so that free turning of the latter about the pins i8 is restrained. Means are provided, however, as previously explained, to transfer at least a portion of the weight of the tape from the friction support member 29 to an anti-friction member or roller when tension is applied to the tape in a direction to draw the same from the roll, as will now be described.

Pivotally mounted uponthe supporting frame is the frame or carriage shown in Fig. 4. 1 This carriage, as illustrated, comprises spaced arms 35 carrying at their forward ends a roller 3i, which roller is loosely mounted upon a pin 32 joining the forward ends of the arms and serving to hold them in spaced relation. The rear ends of the arms 33 are pivoted to the frame of the machine and, as illustrated, are provided with openings 33 which loosely receive the rod 15, so that these arms are pivoted coincidentally with the arms H. The arms may, however, be pivoted to the frame at any point desired, depending upon the particular characteristics or dimensions of the mechanism with which they are used, the pivot point being chosen to secure the proper leverage, as will be hereinafter explained.

Depending from the arms 30 are a pair of supporting straps 32-, these straps supporting a pin upon which is loosely mounted a roller 35, and the forward end of the arms 3!! are normally supported as-shown in Fig. 2 by a web member 31 extending between the side walls II and I2. As also shown in Fig. 2, the tape 33 as it comes from the roll is trained about the roller 31 and then is directed upwardly over the roller 28, so that tension applied to the free end of the tape to draw it from the roll will tend to raise the roller 3! and the carriage upon which the roller is mounted.

In the normal or rest position of the parts, as shown in Fig. 2, when the forward ends of the arms 35} are supported upon the member 31, it

will be notedthat the upper surface of the roller 36 lies slightly below and out of engagement with the lower surface of the supply roll l6, thus causing the weight of the latter to be borne by the support member 29, so that the frictional force due to the weight of the roll and the friction of the surface of the tape with the member 29 will tend to restrain rotation of the roll. However, when tension is applied to the free end of the tape to draw it over the brush 24, the roller .3i and the carriage to which it is attached will be raised about the pivot rod [5, thus raising the roller 39 into contact with the lower 'surface of the roll i9, as shown in Fig. 3. As a result, the weight of the roll, or a'substantial part of its weight, will now be carried by the antifriction roller 35 and will be taken from the anti-friction member 29, thus permitting the roll is to revolve relatively freely. This will permit the user of the device to draw the tape from the roll with comparatively little opposing friction. 'As soon, however, as a sumcient length of tape has been pulled from the roll and it is torn ofi against the serrated edge'Z'I of the plate 26, tension upon the tape will be discontinued and the carriage will again drop upon the sup port 37, thus permitting the weight of the roll Hi to be carried entirely by the member 29 which will immediately check the rotation of the roll and reduce overthrow or continued rotation of the latter due to its momentum.

While, as shown, the arms 38 are'pivoted upon the rod'i5 for convenience, the pivot point of these arms may be varied as desired in order to provide the desired relation between the movementof the rollers SI and 36. It will, of course, beapparent that the nearer the roller 36 is to the pivot point of the arms, the greater will be the required movement of theroller Si in order to raise the roller 36 into contact with the supply roll, and it is desirable .to limit the movement of the roller 3!, so that, when the carriage drops from its raised position in Fig. 3 to the rest position shown in Fig. 2, the free end of the tape will not be withdrawn rearwardly to such an extent that it would no longer extend into the throat provided by the members 25 and 26. Also the distance of the roller'36 from the pivot point of the arms 38 will determine the tension which must be applied to the tape to transfer the weight of the supply roll from the fixed support member 29 to the anti-friction member 35, and, therefore, the tension under which the tape is drawn from the machine may be regulated by adjustment of this distance. These and other considerations will determine the position of the roll 36 with respect to the pivot points of the arms 39.

Whether or not the roll of tape it will be raised completely from the support 29 will depend to some extent on the way that tension 'is applied to the tape by the operator. For example, a slow steady pull of the tape may only relieve the support of a sufficient amount of the weight of the roll so that the frictional force exerted by the support will equal the tension exerted upon the tape. If, however, a sudden or more violent pull is exerted upon the tape in order to secure a supply quickly, the roll will, in that event, be lifted entirely from the support and be borne by the roller 36.

In Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawing, I have shown a somewhat modified form of my invention in which two anti-friction rollers are provided for the roll of tape, one upon each side of the fixed support. In this instance, a carriage is provided comprising the arms 46 similar to the arms shown in Fig. 4, these arms being pivoted at their rear ends to the frame upon the shaft i 5. These arms carry at their forward ends the roller 4| about which the tape 42 is trained as it comes from the roll, this roller acting as the roller 3| of Fig. 4. Also the frame is provided with the fixed or stationary support 29 upon which the roll of tape I9 normally rests.

Pivotally suspended at 43 from each of the arms are V-shaped hangers i4 rotatably carrying the rollers 45 and 4E, and, as shown in Fig. 5, the hangers are so disposed upon the arms 40 so that one will lie at each side of the fixed support 29. These hangers are pivotally attached to the arms, so that the rollers 45 and 46 may adjust themselves to the roll of tape as the carriage is lifted, thus insuring that the tape will be supported upon both of the rollers. The rollers are spaced a sufiicient distance apart so that, when the carriage is raised by the unwinding of the tape, they will pass by the support 29 and raise the weight of the tape or a substantial part thereof from the fixed support 29 and thereby relieve the tension so as to permit relatively free turning of the roll.

It may be noted that in this case the pivot points 43 of the hangers Mi are spaced closer to thev pivot points of the arms Ml than is the roller 36 shown in Fig. 4, thus requiring a greater movement of the roller 4| but less effort on the part of the operator to raise the roll of tape from the fixed support 29 than is required in that form: of my device shown in Figs. 1 to 4. This move ment, however, will not be sufliciently great to withdraw the end of the tape to a position where it will be inaccessible.

In the forms of my invention thus far described, I have shown the frictional'supporting. member 29 as fixed in the frame, and the supporting roller 36 as movable relatively to the support 29 in order to take the weight of the wherein the roller 36 is rotatably mounted upon an axis 35' securedin the side walls of the frame ID of the machine. A pair of arms 5!! (only one of which is shown) are pivoted upon the axis 35 one arm being disposed adjacent each of the side walls of the frame, as are the arms 3!), previously described. At their forward ends these arms: carry the roller 3|, around which the tape 38 is trained in its passage from the machine, and the arms 50 are urged downwardly by the spring 5|, the movement in this direction being limited by a stop 52 against which the forward "ends of the arms engage.

The rear ends of these arms carry a support 29, which is secured to the armsand connects them together at their rear ends. As will be observed from Fig. 7 in the normal position of the parts, when the arms 50 are held against the stop 52 by the spring 5|, the friction support 29 supports the roll of tape l9 and holds it above the anti-friction roller 36, so that resistance will be offered to the rotation of the roll. However, when tension is applied to the free'end of the tape to draw it from the machine, the roller 3|, and therefore the arms 50, will be raised against the tension of the spring 5|, thus lowering the friction member 2% and transferring a substantial part or all of the weight of the roll of tape iii to the anti-friction roller 36, thus permitting the roll l9 to rotate relatively freely. It will be understood that the tape roll |9 is supported in a manner similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

As illustrated, my improvements are applied to e, tape-dispensing device in which the tape is Withdrawn from the roll by hand, but it will be understood that the invention is equally applicable to a tape-dispensing machine provided with the usual form of feed rollers to draw the tape from the roll. Y Y 1 While I have shown and described some preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit of the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What I claim is:

l. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a frame, means carried thereby for supporting a roll-of tape by engaging the outer surface of the 'roll, said means comprising a friction member and an anti-friction member, said friction member normally carrying the preponderance of the weight of the roll, means for transferring at least a part of said weight to said anti-friction member, said last-named means including an element engaged and lifted by the tape as it comes from the roll, and means for restraining forward movement of the roll.

2. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a frame, means carried thereby for supporting a roll of tape by engaging the outer surface of the roll, said means comprising a friction member and an anti-friction member, means for supporting said members for relative movement, and means for moving one member relatively to the other to transfer at least'a part of the weight of the roll from one to the other of said members, said last-named means comprising a member engaged and moved by the tape as it comes the roll.

4. A tape-dispensing machinecomprising a frame, means carried by the frame to support a roll of tape and upon which the roll is adapted to rest, an'anti-friction member, means movably supporting said member in a normal position below the tape roll, and means to raise said member to position to engage and support the tape roll, said last-named means comprising a tape-engaging member actuated by a pull upon thetape in-a direction to draw it from the roll.

5. A tape-dispensing Ina'chineF comprising a frame, means carried' by the frame to support a roll of tapeand uponwhich the roll is adapted to'rest,'an'anti-friction member, means movably supporting said member "in a normal position below the tape roll, and means to raise said member to"position to engage and'support-the tape roll, said last-named means' 'comprising a roller around which the tape is trained'in its movement from the roll. I Y

6. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a framenneans carried by the frame to support a roll of tape and upon which the roll isadapted to rest, an anti friction'member,means movably supporting said member in anormal position below the tape roll, means to raise said member to a, position-to engage and support the tape roll, said last-named means comprising a roller around which the tape istrainedin its movement from the roll, a movable mounting for said roller, and

means connecting said mounting with said antifriction member. i V

7. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a frame, means carried thereby for supporting a roll of tape" comprising a friction member and an anti-friction member disposed below the roll to engage the lower'surface thereof, means for supporting said members for relative movement, means for moving-one member relatively to the other to transferat least-a part of the weight of the roll from one to the other of said members, said last-named means including a tapeengaging member actuated by tension upon the tape in a direction to dispense the latter, and said one member returning to its normal position after the discontinuance of said tension.

8. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a frame, means carried thereby for supporting a roll of tape comprising a friction member and an anti-friction member, said anti-friction member normally standing belowi and spaced from said roll, a pivoted support upon which said antifriotion member is carried, and a roller carried by said support around which the tape is trained whereby unwinding tension upon-the tape raises said support and'anti friction member to take the weight of the roll from said friction member.

9. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a frame, supporting meansfixed' on said frah e upon which a roll'of tape to be dispensed is adapted to rest, a second frame pivoted to said main frameandcarrying' a roller, said roller being disposed'a'djacent to but below said supportingmeans, and said second frame also car-.

rying adjacent its forward end a tape-engaging member around and below which the tape is trained whereby'tens'ion upon the tape in a direction to dispensethe same raises said frame and roller to engage and support the tape roll.

10. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a frame, supporting "means fixed on said frame upon which a roll of tape'to be dispensed is adapted to rest, a second frame pivoted to said main frame and carrying a'r'oller, said roller being disposed adjacent to but below said support-' ing means, said second frame also carryin adjacent its forward end a tape-engaging member around and below which the tape is trained whereby tension upon the tape in a direction to dispense the same raises said frame and roller to engage and support the tape roll, and said second frame returningto its original position when said tension is discontinued.

11. A -tape di'sp'ensing machine comprising a frame, supporting means fixed on said. frame upon which-a roll of'tape. to -b'e' disprisedzisl adapted to rest, a-second frame pivoted to .said main frame and carrying a roller. said roller being disposed adjacent to but belowsaid supporting means, said second frame also carrying;ad-.

is trained as it comes from the'roll, a hanger structure pivoted to said carriage, and a pair of rollers carried by said hanger structure below the roll of tape and adapted to engage and support the same when the carriage is raised.

13. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a frame, supporting means fixed to the frame upon which a roll of tape is adapted to rest, a carriage pivoted to said main frame, a roller rotatably mounted on said carriage below which the tape is trained as it comes from the roll, a hanger structure pivoted tosaid carriage, apair of rollers carried by said hanger structure below the roll of tape and adapted to engage and support the same when the carriage is raised, andone of said rollers being disposed upon each side of said support. v c

14. A tape-dispensing; machine comprisin a frame, a friction member" upon which a roll of tape is normally supported, means movably mounting said member on the frame, an antifriction member carried by the frame adjacent said friction member, means to lower said frictionmember to shift the preponderance of weight of the roll of tape to said anti friction member, said means comprising a roller around which the tape is trained in its movement from the roll, a movable mounting for said roller, and means connecting said mounting with said friction member.

15. A tape-dispensing machine comprising -a.

frame, a, friction member upon which a rollof tape is normally supported, .means movably mounting said member on the frame, an antifriction member carried .by the frame adjacent said friction member, means to lower said friction member to shift the preponderance of weight of the rollof tape to said anti-friction member, said means comprising a roller around which the tape is trained in its movement from the rolha movable mounting for said roller, means connecting said mounting with said friction member, and spring means normally holding said friction member in an upper position wherein the roll of tape is supported thereby.

.16. A tape-dispensing machine comprising a frame, means carried by the frame tosupport a roll of tape comprising a. friction member and an anti-friction member, means movably mounting said friction member onv the frame, means actuated by tension applied to.th e free 'endof the tape to lower said friction member and shift the weight of the roll to said.antifriotion mem- ALFRED P. KRUEGER.

(References on following page) '0 REFERENCES CITED 2 3?? The following references are of record in the 2:331:562 file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Number Name Date Number 1,582,057 Larsen Apr. 27, 1926 593503 1,975,756 Summey Oct. 2, 1934 10 Name Date Ram Feb. 14, 1939 Delano Oct. 12, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Nov. 21, 1930 

